Coq Au Vin
One of the most famous recipes in French cooking, I first learned how to make Coq Au Vin as an apprentice chef. It uses quite a lot of wine, and should be started the day before so you can leave it to marinate over night, but it tastes sublime!
Serves 4 – 6
INGREDIENTS
To marinate:
- 1.5 litres red wine
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 chicken marylands (leg and thigh)
To prepare:
- 40 ml olive oil
- 40 g butter
- 12 pearl onions
- 200 g speck or bacon, cut into 1 cm lardons
- 500 g button mushrooms
- 100 ml brandy or cognac
- 2 Tbsp (15 g) plain flour
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
To serve
- mashed potato
- fresh parsley, chopped
TIPS
I prefer to remove the thigh bone from the chicken marylands before cooking as it makes them easier to eat!
METHOD
- Roughly chop carrot, celery and onion, bruise garlic cloves. Place aromatics in a large bowl with the bay leaf, thyme and chicken marylands, and cover with the wine. Refrigerate 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to marinate.
- Drain the chicken, reserving wine, and discard vegetables. Pat chicken dry with paper towel.
- Add oil and butter to a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add onions and bacon and cook for a few minutes to caramelise. Add mushrooms and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes until mushrooms start to turn golden. Spoon onions, mushrooms and spec into a separate bowl, leaving the oil in the pot.
- Add marinated chicken to pan, skin-side down and leave for 3 – 4 minutes until it turns a dark golden colour. Return onions, mushrooms and spec to the pan with the chicken and add bay leaves and sprigs of fresh thyme. Sprinkle over flour and stir gently.
- Add cognac and light to flambe, then add in the reserved wine from the marinade and cover with a paper lid to keep chicken submerged. Bring to the boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 1½ – 2 hours, until sauce has thickened and chicken is falling off the bone.
- Serve chicken over mashed potato, with a generous ladle of onions, mushrooms, bacon and sauce. Top with parsley.
WATCH THE VIDEO
Recipe as seen in Manu’s French Bistro. Photo credit Jennifer Jenner
